Undergarment strap arrangement



March 1, 1966 M. E. WRIGHT 3,237,206

UNDERGARMENT STRAP ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 l NVEN TOR. mane/5E. Me/Q47 March 1, 1966 E M. E. WRIGHT 3,237,2fl6

UNDERGARMENT STRAP ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 12, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR. MAQ/QE/E March 1, 1966 I M. E. WRIGHT 3,237,206

UNDERGARMENT STRAP ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR. IMAPJOR/E t. WEIGHT March 1, 1966 M. E. WRIGHT 3,237,206

UNDERGARMENT STRAP ARRANGEMENT Filed Nov. 12, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

MAeJoe/z E. WQ/G-HT United States Patent 3,237,206 UNDERGARMENT STRAP ARRANGEMENT Marjorie E. Wright, 929 Green Tree Drive, Winter Park, Fla.

Filed Nov. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 322,729 10 Claims. (Cl. 274) This invention relates to an arrangement for rendering inconspicuous the shoulder straps of a womans undergarments, and more particularly to an arrangement especially designed for use in conjunction with summerweight dresses or other sleeveless or low cut garments so that the undergarment straps can be disposed inside the shoulder portions of the dress or other garment, thereby to prevent the unsightly appearance thereof.

In the past a number of manufacturers and dress designers have addressed themselves to the problem of securing undergarment straps in such a manner that they will not hang down over the wearers shoulder, for such is annoying to the wearer and of course presents a very unsightly appearance. Supposed solutions to this problem have included small tabs or the like located on the underside of the shoulder portions of the dress for anchoring the undergarment straps, but these have generally been unsatisfactory because in many instances the straps still are visible and often the snaps used with these tabs cause discomfort to the wearer.

In accordance with this invention, I advantageously utilize a dress construction wherein shoulder portions of the dress are in effect fiat hollow tubes through which the shoulder straps of the undergarments may be threaded. To this end, I provide a threading arrangement normally extending through the shoulder portion of the dress, by the use of which one or more undergarment shoulder straps may easily be disposed quite inconspicuously within the shoulder portion of the dress. Obviously, the undergarment shoulder strap must be capable of being unhooked to enable the threading operation and thereafter rehooked when in place in the shoulder portion of the dress. Such threading may in accordance with this invention be accomplished in an easy manner and when complete, affords the wearer of complete assurance that her undergarment shoulder straps cannot be seen or fall down over her shoulders to cause annoyance.

Further objects, features, and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the general arrangement of a sleeveless or summer-type dress under which a brassiere may be worn, with the strap of the brassiere being capable of being easily unfastened and refastened to permit a shoulder strap threading arrangement;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the use of a strap threading arrangement extending through the shoulder portion of the dress, with a shoulder strap of the brassiere being shown in the unfastened position;

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating the shoulder portion of the dress moved to a non-functional position to reveal details of the strap threading arrangement;

FIGURE 4 represents the next view of the sequence in which by the use of the threader, the shoulder strap of the undergarment has been pulled through the shoulder portion of the dress;

FIGURE 5 represents a view revealing the manner in which the shoulder strap of the undergarment is refastened at the front so as to complete the operation of placing the strap in a concealed position in the shoulder portion of the dress; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but utilizing a separate threader.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, I have shown a sleeveless Patented Mar. 1, 1966 ice style dress 11) disposed upon a female wearer, having shoulder portions 11 in which the straps of the wearers undergarments such as of a slip or a brassiere 12 are to be disposed. In this figure, the undergarment is equipped with a shoulder strap 13 that extends over the shoulder of the wearer and fastens by hook or other suitable fastening arrangement 14 in the front of the undergarment. Unfortunately, in accordance with the usual prior art arrangement, the undergarment strap 13 is often visible when a summer-weight dress is worn, such as in the case of a sleeveless dress with a low cut front as shown.

As revealed in FIGURE 2, in accordance with this invention the dress has shoulder portions 11 which may be in the form of fiat hollow tubes defined by the material of the dress at the shoulder, and the lining of the shoulder portion. Disposed between these upper and lower pieces of goods thereby constituting the shoulder portion 11 of the dress I dispose a lacing strap 15 which for example may be of cotton or nylon, with one end stitched or otherwise anchored to the front of the dress at 16. In accordance with this embodiment, a hook or other fastening device 17 is provided at the rearmost end of the lacing strap, to which the front or free end of the shoulder strap of the undergarment may be fastened for the purpose of threading the strap 13 through the tubular shoulder portion 11 of the dress. As should be apparent, the holes or eyelets located near the free end of the undergarment shoulder strap, which normally engage the fastening device 14 may be engaged by the hook 17 when the lacer is to be used for pulling the shoulder strap of the undergarment through the shoulder portion of the dress.

For the convenience of the wearer, the lacing strap 15 is easily accessible at the front of the dress, this being made possible by the provision of an aperture 18 on the front underside of the shoulder portion of the dress, spaced from anchor point 16. This aperture is disposed in the lining 21 and is much in the nature of a buttonhole or the like. The lacing strap therefore extends outside the lining between the anchor point 16 and the aperture 18 in such a manner as to be available to be easily grasped by the fingers of the wearer in order that it may be used to pull the undergarment strap through the shoulder portion of the dress.

In a similar manner to the aperture 18, an aperture 19 is provided at a rear location in the lining of the shoulder portion of the dress, out through which the rear end of the lacing strap extends for a short distance, in this man ner to dispose the hook 17 between the wearers shoulder and the shoulder portion of the dress, in easy grasp of the wearer.

Turning to FIGURE 3 it will be seen that the hook 117 of the lacer has been placed in operative engagement with the free end of the shoulder strap of the undergarment as a result of the wearers efforts, so that by pulling from the front portion of the lacer, the shoulder strap can be caused to enter aperture 19, travel through the tubular mid-portion of the shoulder portion of the dress and then emerge from front aperture 18 so that it may thereafter be refastened to fitting 14 at the front of the brassiere. This latter phase of the operation will be made more clear by reference to FIGURE 4.

In connection with FIGURES 3 and 4, it should be noted that the shoulder portion of the dress is shown in a position that is rarely necessary, that is, with the lining 21 visible. This is done for purposes of illustration only, for in most instances the threading operation may be entrrely performed with the shoulder portion of the dress substantially in the position in which it is normally worn. After the shoulder strap of the undergarment has been refastened as shown in FIGURE 5, the wearer is then quite ready to appear in public with assurance that her undergarment straps will not become conspicuous.

In FIGURE 6 is illustrated an embodiment of this invention in which an anchored lacer is not used, but rather a double-ended loop arrangement 15a that comes free of the dress at such time as the undergarment strap has been laced through the shoulder portion of the dress.

In each of these embodiments, at such time as the dress is to be removed, the wearer unfastens the front buckle of the undergarment and then hooks or otherwise fastens the free end of the undergarment shoulder strap to the end of the lacer so that as the rear end of the shoulder strap is pulled to remove it from the shoulder portion of the dress, such operation will cause the lacer to be rethreaded in the shoulder portion of the dress so as to be available for the next use.

'It should be noted that my invention may be utilized even in lined garments in which stitched seams are disposed across the shoulder portions of the garment. In this instance I prefer to by-pass the seams by the use of additional apertures of the general nature of apertures 18 and 19. For example, the lacer may enter aperture 18, come out of the tubular shoulder portion by means of a first new aperture, cross the seam, re-enter the tubular shoulder portion by means of a second new aperture, and then finally emerge from the rear shoulder portion of the dress through aperture 19.

The embodiments shown and described hereinabove are merely exemplary, and I am not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated in the drawing. For example, the lacing strap concept may be employed in conjunction with dresses utilizing the so-called spaghetti strap construction. In this instance I utilize in accordance with my invention a pair or so of small diameter tubes several inches long made of the material of which the dress is designed, through each of which tubes is disposed a lacing strap, preferably of the double ended loop type. In this embodiment the front end of the undergarment strap is disconnected and hooked to one loop of the lacing strap. The user then grasps the loop at the front end and pulls the undergarment strap through the tube and then proceeds to refasten the undergarment shoulder strap to the front of the undergarment. This has the tendency to narrow the undergarment strap. In this manner the tube remains in full view, but inasmuch as it is made of the same material as the dress, this fact is not apparent to the viewer. If desired the tubes can be removably fastened to the dress, such as by snaps, but such usually is not necessary.

As should be apparent, the full utilization of my invention may well involve cooperation between dress manufacturers and undergarment manufacturers. This is because it may well be desirable for dresses made in accordance with this invention to have the apertures used in the shoulder portions thereof of a standard size, with the front fitting attachment of the undergarment being of a size such that it readily will pass through such apertures, as well as possess the quality of being easily unfastened and refastened. For example, the front fitting maybe of plastic or metal as may be desired, and may entail a hook portion that on the one hand can easily engage the eyelets in the end of the shoulder strap of the undergarment, yet not tend to snag in the shoulder portion of the garment 10.

As a further aspect of this invention, it well may be desirable for manufacturers of a dress having so-called spaghetti straps at the shoulders to furnish tubular shoulder members of dress material with the dress so that the undergarment straps may be placed therein and then not be detectable as undergarment straps.

As another arrangement, dress manufacturers may well market standard undergarment shoulder straps having front and back hooks and covered with the same material as that of which the dress is constructed, so that such covered undergarment straps can readily be fastened to and used with the purchasers standard underwear, which in such instance is constructed to receive standard front and back hooks.

Other embodiments within the scope of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and I am not to be limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings except as required by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An arrangement for preventing the shoulder straps of an undergarment from being visible through outer clothing, comprising outer clothing having a shoulder portion of generally tubular construction in which a lacing strap is disposed, said lacing strap with respect to said shoulder portion being of a length such as to be able to be grasped and pulled through said shoulder portion, means on at least one end of said lacing strap for removably attaching to an end of the shoulder strap of an undergarment whereby, when said lacing strap is pulled to remove it from the shoulder portion, the undergarment strap is caused to be placed inside said shoulder portion out of view.

2. The arrangement as defined in claim I in which said shoulder outer clothing is a dress and said portion is an integral part of such dress.

3. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which said shoulder outer clothing is a dress, and said portion is a member separate from such dress.

4. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which said lacing strap is free and not afiixed to any part of the wearers clothing.

5. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 in which one end of said lacing strap is affixed near the inside front of such outer clothing.

6. An arrangement for disposing the shoulder strap of a females undergarments so as to conceal the shoulder strap behind outer clothing, comprising outer clothing having a shoulder portion of generally tubular cross-section, in which portion an elongated lacing strap is disposed, said lacing strap being generally coextensive with said shoulder portion and with respect to said shoulder portion being of a length such as to be able to be grasped and pulled through said shoulder portion, means on one end of said lacing strap for being removably secured to a free end of the shoulder strap of an undergarment, whereby when said lacing strap is pulled with respect to said shoulder portion, the undergarment strap will be drawn inside said shoulder portion, thus to place the undergarment strap out of view.

7. The arrangement as defined in claim 6 in which forward and rear apertures are disposed on the underside of the shoulder portion, through each of which apertures said lacing strap normally extends, whereby when the lacing strap is pulled to draw the undergarment strap through the shoulder portion, said strap will extend into said shoulder portion through said rear aperture and emerge through said front aperture.

8. Shoulder construction for an outer garment of clothing, comprising a generally tubular shoulder portion having front and rear apertures, an elongated lacer member normally disposed in said shoulder portion with at least one end protruding through one of said apertures, and being of such a length with respect to said shoulder portion as to be able to be grasped and pulled, means for securing one end of said lacer to a free end of an undergarment shoulder strap, so that by use of the lacer, the undergarment strap may be pulled into one of said apertures and on through said shoulder portion, thereafter to be refastened to another portion of the undergarment.

9. The shoulder construction as defined in claim 8 in which said outer garment of clothing is a dress, and said shoulder portion is an integral part of such dress, and defining a tubular member constructed of the dress material and the lining of the dress. I

10. The shoulder construction as defined in claim 8 in which said outer garment of clothing is a dress, and said shoulder portion is separate from said dress.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited by the Examiner 2,585,338 2/ 1952 Meares 128-510 X 1717 933 55 STATES PATENTS 2 73 FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

2 Morin 1,946,037 2/1934 Scott 254-1343 JORDAN FRANhLINr Exammer- 2,531,805 11/1950 Clark 223-111 X 5 M. I COLITZ, R. I. SCANLAN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ARRANGEMENT FOR PREVENTING THE SHOULDER STRAPS OF AN UNDERGARMENT FROM BEING VISIBLE THROUGH OUTER CLOTHING, COMPRISING OUTER CLOTHING HAVING A SHOULDER PORTION OF GENERALLY TUBULAR CONSTRUCTION IN WHICH A LACING STRAP IS DISPOSED, SAID LACING STRAP WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHOULDER PORTION BEING OF A LENGTH SUCH AS TO BE ABLE TO BE GRASPED AND PULLED THROUGH SAID SHOULDER PORTION, MEANS ON AT LAST ONE END OF SAID LACING STRAP FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING TO AN END OF THE SHOULDER STRAP OF AN UNDERGARMENT WHEREBY, WHEN SAID LACING STRAP IS PULLED TO REMOVE IT FROM THE SHOULDER PORTION, THE UNDERGARMENT STRAP IS CAUSED TO BE PLACED INSIDE SAID SHOULDER PORTION OUT OF VIEW. 